Patent GB-196124-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in methods of knitting, machine therefor and the product
IPC: D04B9/06
Filed: 1922-02-02
Abstract: 196,124. Scott, R. W. Feb. 2, 1922. Circular machines; knitted fabrics.-Articles such as complete rib-top stockings are made automatically in separate succession on a single circular knitting-machine by a continuous operation, starting with bare needles, there being provision for the. welt and for sectional splicing &c. The product differs from that knitted by the machine described in Specification 11481/06 in that the necessity for making articles in connected succession, which resulted in leaving vestiges of the connecting fabric attached thereto, is avoided. The stocking &c. has a turned welt W with a beginning setting-up course S not interknit with prior courses but interlooped with the body of the stocking at the beginning of the ribbed part. The juncture between the ribbed fabric T and the plain fabric L is provided with a reinforcement comprised of bights of yarn g, the initial plain fabric loops being drawn through three bights at the front of the stocking where garter strain is greatest and through at least two bights elsewhere. The machine is furnished with control drums which bring into action, chiefly by means of thrust bars, the various appliances required to produce automatically an article such as is shown in Fig. 20, the principal operations being :-(1) to begin knitting by co-operation of dial and cylinder needles for a setting-up course: (2) to make fabric for a welt, while needles of one carrier remain idle; (3) to knit ribbed fabric; (4) to make loose-courses; (5) to transfer the dial loops to the cylinder and (6) to knit a plainfabric leg, heel, foot and toe on the cylinder needles, the dial needles being meanwhile out of action. In the machine shown in Fig. 2, the needle carriers rotate and the cams are relatively fixed but the reverse arrangement can be adopted. The dial D is supplied with ordinary needles a, b, described in Specification 186,405 and to the under surface fins or partitions d<5> are attached which in the case of one-and-one rib equal the dial needles in number. Web holders w<1>, w<2>, Figs. 7 and 8, are arranged alternately. Some or all of the web-holders w<1> come directly under the fins d<5>; they have upper arms recessed at w<3> while the web holders w<2> are serrated at w<13> to act as tensioning means when the dial is at a low, or the cylinder is at a high level. Towards the end of knitting the welt the cylinder and dial are in positions indicated by the levels II. and IV. respectively in Fig. 2<a>, the fins d<5> presenting the, edge fold of the welt in position for normal engagement by the serrations w<13>. For the rib top the dial moves down to position III. and the web holders are given an abnormal stroke to cause the serrations to engage the fabric more firmly than the welt was held. The first dial loops cast off the setting-up course S which thus becomes looped to the body of the fabric. After knitting a predetermined length of rib fabric the machine slows down for about eight revolutions and at least two courses f<20>, f<21> are made with loose dial loops by inserting the web-holders w<2> earlier in phase in respect to the knitting-wave than normal. The m-throw web-holder cams are pressed inwardly by adjustable spring plungers and cause the serrations w<3> to press on the fabric while the adjacent needles are still drawing loops and after they have cast off. This enables the machine accurately to form the desired number of loose courses preliminary to the transfer operation. The dial loops are then transferred on to jackless and hitherto inactive cylinder needles by inserting transfer cams similar to those described in Specification 186,405 and by inserting a cam 25, Fig. 3, which causes the leading long butt jackless needle n<120> and the jackless needles which follow to rise at o<2> and enter the projected dial loops X and the bight q of the course f<21> which is still in the hooks of the dial needles at the time of the transfer operation. The knitting of the stockings &c. may alternatively be started at the toe end. The dial spindle d is splined at g<5> to slide through and rotate with gear g<1> which forms part of a driving train for driving in unison the cylinder 260 and dial D and is raised or lowered bv means of a pattern controlled lever 128 pivoted at 129. The cylinder is raised and lowered similarly. A series of yarn feed guide fingers are employed, and withdrawn yarns are taken under a clamp and severed. Certain of the web holders mav be provided with long butts w<8> and be operated during splicing to determine longer stitches in certain segments only of the fabric. Means for mounting the dial and cylinder cams and for radially adjusting one of the transfer cams are described.